The Lost Days – The Backseats by the Window
by Soulstreets
Summary: The two butterflies, Uchiha Itachi and Haruno Sakura were legends at this school. Coming from completely different environments they strangely enough quickly became friends, companions and perhaps something more? The butterflies are back. ItaSaku, AU.
1. Challenge 0 : A new Beginning

**_The Lost Days – The Backseats by the Window_**

* * *

A photograph. Two old and worn out chairs and desks standing by the window in the back, both empty. The desks are filled with graffiti, of love and hate, of rumors and challenges. Most notable is the large symbol on both of the desks. A butterfly facing the window, so lifelike that it seemed like it would fly away any moment, to the endless skies and their promises of freedom. 

A pair of obsidian eyes. A teenager with a pair of old jeans and a faded t-shirt standing next to a girl with a photo camera who took the photograph of the two backseats.

"Why do you always trying to capture everything with that camera?"

"I don't want to lose it. I want to be able to look back someday."

A hand tracing the butterflies engraved in the old desks. The sun is already fading away, slowly nightfall comes. The girl sighed, her jade eyes locked with the obsidian eyes of the boy.

"Butterflies… remember when we made them?"

"Detention, right? For not paying attention and looking out the window. It become a trademark ever since."

"And before we knew it, it was over and the butterflies would be gone…"

"One day they'll be back. The butterflies, the photographs and the challenges."

A first and final kiss, a goodbye without tears, without words. A last photograph, the boy and the girl sitting at the desks, both looking outside. The photograph was put in the trophy cabinet, a few words and two names beneath it.

_One day, the butterflies will return. Till then, we fly towards the sun._

_Uchiha Itachi and Haruno Sakura._

Beneath it was a newspaper article from the school newspaper, entitled 'Butterflies, the two Legends from Konoha High'

* * *

A young woman in her early twenties was sitting in the bus, in the backseat by the window. Her attire consisted of a pair of torn and worn jeans, an old coat that was too big, a grey t-shirt that had known better days and a piece of black cloth that was used as a bandanna. When she looked around and realized that she was practically the only one on the bus and there were no camera's, she quickly grabbed a black permanent marker.

* * *

_The two butterflies, Uchiha Itachi and Haruno Sakura were legends at this school. Coming from completely different environments they strangely enough quickly became friends, companions and perhaps something more? Both were known as artistic, smart, anti-social and quiet. Sakura was a year younger than Itachi but was moved to his class because of her intelligence. According to the rumors, it all started in two backseats by the window and a detention. After that, they were always seen either together or not far apart._

* * *

She began to draw something on the window, pausing every now and then to see if nobody was watching her.

* * *

_While both were artistically gifted, there were differences. Itachi was a painter and poet, Sakura a photographer and poet. She captured life, he created life._

* * *

She didn't notice the obsidian eyes staring at her while pretending to read a newspaper.

* * *

_Due to their intelligence they soon became bored with the normal classes and started to challenge each other to different things, some dangerous, some embarrassing, some just crazy._

* * *

When the bus stopped she looked up, jade eyes meeting obsidian ones, and she quickly looked back to her completed drawing, adding a couple of words before standing up, laying the marker on the now empty seat, and running to the exit, away from the man she just recognized.

* * *

_Every challenge was photographed, described and saved in a special file, now open for interested in the school library. A few challenges included : Replacing the school bell with recordings of rock music,_

* * *

He folded his newspaper and walked to the window, that was now carrying a new decoration.

* * *

_Using tape to shut all the doors and windows in the school,_

* * *

A butterfly, ready to fly away. He almost grinned at the words beneath the butterfly.

* * *

_Replacing the normal light bulbs with red ones and making a huge banner with 'red light district' written on it,_

* * *

He picked up the marker and added a few words.

* * *

_Moving all the desks and chairs to the roof,_

* * *

After that he waited for the next stop and got off.

* * *

_And many more. But now, it is over. Both of the butterflies, their names earned because of their trademark symbol of a butterfly ready to fly away, are graduating and moving away. When asked for their future plans, they simply smiled and told us that they were going to fly. Is this the last of the butterflies, or will we see them again someday?_

* * *

The butterflies are back, are you ready?

Yes. Let's fly again, love.


	2. Challenge 1 : Blast from the Past

**_The Lost Days – The Backseats by the Window_**

* * *

_Challenge 1 : replacing the school bell with rock music. See photograph included. _

_The very first public challenge was made by Itachi, and was executed one week later by Sakura. The school's sound system was intruded and adjusted. It took three weeks until the system was restored, in the meantime the classes would start and end with the Rolling Stones. The photograph, signed by Sakura, shows Sakura standing next to the sound system which was marked with the drawing of a butterfly. There were no consequences for either of them, most likely because of their grades and behavior in class._

* * *

"Yamanaka, we have a new story, here's the file, take the Nara and the Akamichi with you and get some more information on this. I want more details, and I believe that you two are just the right people for this." Was said by a man who was currently busy smoking a cigarette, as he often was. The young blonde before him looked slightly surprised and opened the folder, which contained a photograph and a piece of paper with only a few words on it. When she looked at the photo, her eyes widened for a second before she grinned, and ran out of the office.

"Oi, Shika! Come on, we got something! You too, Choji!" She yelled at two men who were either sleeping or eating, but looked up when they heard their names.

"Troublesome… what is it this time? Some celebrity, a traffic accident?" said the man who looked up lazily at the blonde woman in front of him.

Ino smirked. "Better. If everything is correct…" She didn't finish her sentence, waiting for someone to ask her what she was talking about. Finally, Choji couldn't take it anymore.

"If everything is correct what?"

"The Butterflies are back."

After she spoke the four words, both of the men shot up from their chairs. "You sure, Ino?" Choji asked, grinning as he thought about the excitement their return would bring.

"Positive. Look at this photograph, who else could have done this?"

Said photograph was now being examined by the other man, who was looking slightly interested, which was very rare for him, considering how he seemed to be asleep most of the time. The photograph pictured a window, probably from a bus or a train or something, and on it a drawing and two sentences, both written by different persons. The man smirked. It seemed like Ino was right. The Butterflies were back.

* * *

_"So what's the challenge?" _

_"You have to change the school bell so that it'll play music instead of… what it is that plays now. And you have to get proof that you did it." _

_"Hmm… I accept!" _

* * *

A young woman, walking through empty hallways, her eyes looking at images from a time long gone. Memories came at her as she continued to walk until she stopped in front of the trophy cabinet, and looked at a photograph that was faded and torn at the edges by the claws of time. She grabbed a piece of paper from the backpack she was carrying on her back and wrote something on it with a black pen.

* * *

_A week later the two teenagers were sitting in their seats in the back of the class, the boy reading a book but not really paying attention to the contents, and the girl looking out the window, an empty piece of paper on her desk. _

* * *

The next day would be the first school day after the winter break, and already many students were gathering by the trophy cabinet. A second glance would prove that not only students, but also teachers were looking at the note that was placed on the glass.

* * *

_"A few more minutes." She said, while, her attention shifting from the pale colored clouds to the boy in front of her, who closed his book and smiled slightly._

* * *

I, Haruno Sakura, challenge you, Uchiha Itachi!  
Challenge : A Blast from the Past.  
One week.

* * *

For several adults the note reminded them of their past, where notes such as the one before them could often be found at the exact same place. The emotions and memories that the note brought them differed from person to person.

* * *

_Other early students walked in, not aware of what would happen in a few minutes._

* * *

For a blonde woman, accompanied by two men, it brought back memories of the girl that she saved from a few bullies once, and talked to every once and a while.

* * *

_The teacher that just walked in started to organize his papers._

* * *

For a silver haired teacher, at the same time busy reading a certain orange book, it brought mixed emotions of anticipation and fear, recognizing the work of the two students that always seemed to be distracted in his class, all those years ago.

* * *

_The girl looked on her watch. "Three – two – one."_

* * *

For a young man with long black hair in a ponytail, it brought back too many emotions to recognize at once, but his face stayed the same, not betraying any emotions. A red gleam could be seen in his obsidian eyes.

* * *

_"Don't question why she needs to be so free,  
She'll tell you it's the only way to be.  
She just can't be chained  
To a life where nothing's gained  
And nothing's lost  
At such a cost"_

* * *

After the bell rang, the students slowly made their way to their classes, followed by the teachers, all of them contemplating the note on the trophy cabinet. The silver haired teacher, followed by the young black haired man, walked into the art room, where only a few students were sitting.

* * *

_The teacher, who was quite young even though his hair was already silver, almost choked on the coffee he was drinking when he heard Ruby Tuesday coming from the speakers. "The one time I'm early…" he muttered after regaining his capability to breathe._

* * *

"Alright class, listen up. We're having an intern for the next couple of months, so welcome him and treat him with more respect than you give me, okay? Please introduce yourself, mister…" He stopped, realizing that he'd never gotten the intern's name.

* * *

_Students from every class began to whisper and on occasion laugh or frown, and even some of the teachers began to laugh. The Rolling Stones continued to blast through the speakers for three weeks when it was time for the classes to begin or start, until the school finally managed to shut it down. The ones responsible for the change were soon discovered, but not punished. Haruno Sakura, and…_

* * *

The young man bowed slightly to the class, and smirked. "Good morning, I'm an old student from here and as Kakashi probably already knows my name is-"

Kakashi's eyes widened when he recognized the man.

* * *

_Uchiha Itachi._

* * *

"Uchiha Itachi. Nice to meet you."

* * *


	3. Break at the Café

**_The Lost Days – The Backseats by the Window_**

* * *

After he said his name, the silence was broken by a myriad of whispers and rumors, mostly concerning his name and the note earlier in the hallway. Kakashi looked at him from across the room, ignoring his students. "So the Butterflies are back, Itachi?"

"They will be, soon."

"Ah."

It became silent once more and the students were listening to every word that was spoken between the two adults. Finally, one students was brave enough to ask what they all wanted to know.

"Sensei, what are you talking about?"

Itachi looked at Kakashi again, and started to walk to the door.

"I'm afraid I have a few things I forgot to take care of. Please excuse me, I'll be back in a few hours"

With that, he left the room, leaving all the students staring at the silver haired teacher, waiting for an answer. Said teacher scratched his neck. "Well… It a was a long time ago…"

Itachi smirked as he heard Kakashi starting to tell the story of his life. Walking down the street, he stopped in front of a small café, a few chairs and tables positioned in a way that the people sitting on them would have a view of the street. The café looked almost empty, but he didn't care about the other customers. All he saw was the young woman who was looking at him through the window, putting down her tea and mockingly saluting him. He saluted back, smirking, and stepped inside. He sat down in the chair next to the woman, and looked her in the eyes. She was whistling a song, he remembered the words, and the first time he'd heard them, he thought back as he started to sing along.

* * *

_"It's a Bob Dylan song, ever heard of him?" She asked softly. Though there was no official punishment for the both of them after that first challenge, they were suddenly the first to be nominated when there were chores to be done, such as now, when they were cleaning the classroom again. Sakura had brought a cd and put it on, and he had stopped to listen to the guitar and the man's voice that came from the old speakers. _

_The line it is drawn  
The curse it is cast  
The slow one now  
Will later be fast  
As the present now  
Will later be past  
The order is  
Rapidly fadin'.  
And the first one now  
Will later be last_

_"For the times they are a-changin'.__ " They both sang the last line, looking out the window again. When they heard footsteps approaching she quickly got the cd back from the cd-player and gave it to him, not even looking at him. He mumbled a short thanks before carefully putting it between the pages of one of his books._

* * *

"For the times they are a-changin'." He finished, taking in her attire. Her pink hair was in a ponytail on her back, and she wore a big black hat, much like one would have expected to see decades or centuries ago. Her black blouse was open to reveal a white tanktop, and the same pair of jeans that she had been wearing the other day were there again. He was wearing a simple pair of jeans as well, with a grey t-shirt and a black leather jacket that was worn down from years of use.

She laughed, and stood up. He mirrored her movements, and they found themselves facing each other, slowly taking in the few changes that made them different from the teenagers standing in an empty classroom all those years ago, looking at the sky. After a few minutes, she took a step towards him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, burying her head in his chest. He returned the gesture, holding her close to him, and with his eyes closed he smiled, the first real smile he gave in years.

After standing there for what seemed like hours, they let go of each other, and sat down again.

"So what brought you back, Tachi?"

"A feeling I got. You?"

"I got bored, and I got an offer I just couldn't resist."

He smiled, looking at her half empty cup of tea. The liquid in it smelled suspicious. He laughed.

"Can you handle that so early in the morning, Saku?" He said, trying to hold in his laughter as he took a sip.

Sakura snorted. "Probably better than you, dumbass. There's a good reason as to why I am still allowed sugar on occasions and you are not."

He ordered a cup of real tea for himself. "That may be true, but at least I can hold my alcohol better than you."

"So you have a higher alcohol resistance. Big deal, I can handle a few cups of these, you can't."

"How unkind of you to remind me again of my weaknesses."

"Not my fault you can't handle your ice tea."

* * *


	4. On the riverbanks of the Mississippi

**_The Lost Days – The Backseats by the Window_**

* * *

****  
It had been a week since the appearance of the challenge, and almost every student arrived five minutes earlier than usual, none of them wanting to miss the event that would soon take place. One classroom was already occupied by several students, and two young adults, quietly conversing while gazing at the clouds through the high windows. Some of the students were listening to their conversation while pretending to be busy with their homework.

"So where have you been, Tachi?" the woman said, absently toying around with the strange camera in her hands.

"No place special." Itachi said, the both of them smiling as if he told a joke only they would understand.

"You look different." She continued, trying not to laugh, and stopped toying with the camera.

"Well, I guess." Itachi said, while looking out the window, smirking.

"You been gone." Her voice was slightly muffled by the large camera in front of her face, and just as Itachi looked at her, she clicked on the button.

"That's only natural, Saku. And did you have to do that, again?" He asked wearily, taking the camera from her and waving some sort of paper that just came out of it around.

The woman pouted. "Let me have my fun, it's been a while since I last took a picture from such a…"

"Perfect?"

"Conceited."

"Neh."

"Person as yourself. I'm taking opportunities wherever I can." She said, poking him in the arm at his description of himself."

Looking outside again, he followed a leaf slowly swaying in the wind, before falling to the ground. "You gonna stay?" He finally asked.

"If you want me to, yeah."

* * *

_"I never knew you liked this kind of music too, Itachi. What are your favorites?" She asked, looking through some of the cds he kept in his locker. _

_"My interests mostly lie with songwriters such as Dylan and Springsteen, though after today The Stones are a given, of course…"_

_"How about The Doors?"_

"I haven't listened to them a lot, but I rather liked Riders on the Storm. How about you?"

_"Pretty much the same as you, Dylan, the Boss, the Stones… I just bought a cd from The Doors, I could bring it with me tomorrow?"_

"That would be nice, thank you."

_"You're welcome."_

* * *

"Here," He said, handing her the picture. "Some habits never die, right?"

While she was looking at the photograph in her hand, he quickly took a picture of her. "Hey, Tachi! Give that back!"

"No more pictures for another hour, deal?" He said, holding the camera out of reach.

"Deal," She said, grumbling. "Now give me back my camera."

Before he could, however, someone stole it out of his hand. When he turned around to look, he actually smirked at who stood before him.

"Didn't know you could arrive early, Kakashi. Weren't there any cats in need of saving?"

"Behind him, the girl looked up. "Hey sensei, long time no see. How long have you been standing there already?"

"Long enough to know that the two of you are still two hopeless individuals who have a good memory and listened to Bob Dylan too often to be good for you. And don't call me sensei anymore, it makes me feel old."

"But sensei, we still have to call you that!" One of the students shouted across the classroom.

The silver haired teacher looked over his shoulder and smiled, even though almost his entire face was covered by a large scarf and his trademark hairstyle.

"That's because I never listen to you pipsqueaks anyway."

The other students laughed, while the embarrassed student just sank in his seat, hiding behind a book.

* * *

_"What are you thinking about?"_

_"Which song from The Stones would fit you the best."_

_"And?"_

"I'll tell you tomorrow, okay?"

_"Deal."_

* * *

"Nice to see you two together again, when are you leaving?" Kakashi asked, smiling at them.

"Polite as ever, I see. Well… Tachi is staying with this course for the rest of the year, while I'll be switching between this and a few other jobs on the side," The woman said. "And, like Itachi said, how come you're early? No old ladies in distress?"

"No, all of them are currently drinking their morning tea with a nice biscuit at the moment. And the reason I'm early is because I know you two, and I'm curious about what your big plan was."

"Well, the note did say 'Blast from the Past'…"

One visible eye widened slightly, before the teacher chuckled.

"I was hoping for something like that already. It's been far too long since there was something new in this school. Or at least, creative. Nice work, Itachi, Sakura."

* * *

_After listening to the song, Itachi opened his eyes and looked at the girl in front of him._

_"This is the best fitting song?"_

_"Yeah, it's simply perfect, don't you think?"_

_"What's it called?"_

* * *

A few of the students shot up from their chairs. "Sakura? As in, the same from the stories?"

Sakura looked around, an innocent expression on her face. "Well yeah, what did you expect?"

Before anyone could answer to that, music came through the speakers in the classroom and in the halls.

* * *

"Pleased to meet you  
Hope you guess my name, oh yeah  
What's puzzling you  
Is the nature of my game, oh yeah"

* * *

Kakashi shook his head. "Should have known."

* * *

_"It's called 'Sympathy for the Devil. Like it?"_

_"Love it."_

* * *

Hello everyone, a quick note at the end of this chapter by me, the author. Sorry for not updating in a while, I've had some problems, but I'm working on them, so please look forward to the next update with me, hoping that it will be soon _  
_

Instead of the typical explanation of san, chan, kun, sensei, here's a little guide to the music mentioned and joked about in this chapter :

_ "Long enough to know that the two of you are still two hopeless individuals who have a good memory and listened to Bob Dylan too often to be good for you. And don't call me sensei anymore, it makes me feel old."_

It means that he's heard their conversation before they started to take pictures, which are basically a few of the lyrics from a song by Bob Dylan called 'Isis'. Almost the whole conversation can be found in the lyrics of that song.

_ "Pretty much the same as you, Dylan, the Boss, the Stones… I just bought a cd from The Doors, I could bring it with me tomorrow?"_

-Dylan, refers to Bob Dylan, so far the song in the previous chapter and the conversation mentioned above refer are songs written by him. The song in the previous chapter gives a lot of insight in the sixties, and the changes in those years.  
-the Boss, a nickname for Bruce Springsteen, another songwriter and singer. One of his best songs is in my opinion Born to Run, which will probably appear somewhere in this fanfic in the future.  
-the Stones, better known as The Rolling Stones, an English band, in the second chapter I used one of their songs called Ruby Tuesday, which is a description for Sakura in this fic, and in this chapter Sympathy for the Devil, which Sakura mentioned as a perfect song for Itachi. The Stones  
-The Doors, another band, Riders on the Storm is one of their most known songs, they too will appear again in the story, somewhere… don't know where yet. The cd Sakura mentions is called L.A. Woman.

_Kakashi shook his head. "Should have known."_

Not only did Itachi choose a song from a long time ago, he also chose a song from the same band as Sakura did in her first challenge, instead of using a song like No Surrender, of which the first lines would also fit here.

I want to thank everybody for all the reviews, hits, alerts and favorites, it was more than I ever expected on this story. I started this as a way to relax between writing my other fanfics, and suddenly it turned out to be the most popular one so far! Who would've guessed? Anyway, thanks everybody for all the support, I hope that you 're enjoying this as much as I am, till next time,

May-D


	5. Got lost in the Flood?

No, this is not an official chapter, sorry to disappoint all of you. I am working on the next chapter right now, but I don't want to upload what I've got so far, because it's too short for my and your liking. Soon though, very soon. This is a page with background information on the music, references, characters, jokes and everything else that I feel like explaining right now. I'll probably do this every 7 chapters or something, and will try to avoid putting a.n.'s with the chapters.

* * *

First of all, thank you so, so, soooo much. Know that every review, every comment, makes my day just a little bit (okay, a lot) brighter. Seriously. I love all of you, thanks for sticking with me while making this fanfic.

* * *

Next, the soundtrack listing :

Soundtrack Listing for this fanfic so far (can't believe I'm doing this XD) :

**Ruby Tuesday – Rolling Stones  
**_Sakura's Theme 1_  
**Sympathy for the Devil – Rolling Stones**  
_Itachi's Theme 1_  
**Born to Run – Bruce Springsteen**  
_Sakura's and Itachi's Theme 1  
_**No surrender – Bruce Springsteen**_  
Naruto's Theme 1  
_**  
The Changeling – The Doors**_  
_**Chimes of Freedom – Bob Dylan  
Isis – Bob Dylan  
Like a Rolling Stone – Bob Dylan  
For the times they are a-changin' – Bob Dylan  
Mayonaka Shounen Totsugekidan – STANCE Punks  
The River – Bruce Springsteen  
My Hometown – Bruce Springsteen  
Dancing in the Dark – Bruce Springsteen  
Revolution – The Beatles  
Helter Skelter – The Beatles  
Waltz for Eva & Che**

* * *

**  
**"Better to die standing, than to live on your knees."  
A quote from Che Guevara that's on a poster that will be used in one of Itachi's plans later on the fanfiction. For anyone curious, I have the same poster, only with the quote translated to dutch, on my door. It means a lot to me.

* * *

_  
The lyrics Kakashi joked about in chapter 4 :  
__She said, "Where ya been?" I said, "No place special."  
She said, "You look different." I said, "Well, not quite."  
She said, "You been gone." I said, "That's only natural."  
She said, "You gonna stay?" __I said, "Yeah, I jes might."  
_-Isis, Bob Dylan.

* * *

Locations:

**-The school - Konoha High. **  
Cliché, simple, and easy to use.  
**-The café – The Word**  
After a song of The Beatles.  
**-The club – Jungleland**  
After a song of Bruce Springsteen._  
_  
More will follow later.

* * *

_"Younger generations soon began to rebel against the conservative norms of the time, as well as disassociate themselves from mainstream liberalism, in particular they turned away from the high levels of materialism which was so common during the era. This created a counter-culture that eventually turned into a social revolution throughout much of the western world. "_

-Wikipedia about the sixties

Though the story plays in this time, references will be made.

* * *

The class Itachi and Sakura will be teaching is one of the few I loved when I had it, and here it's called CKV, which stands for Culturele Kunstzinnige Vorming, which I can't really translate, sorry. Basically you get taught about art, movies, music, theatre, literature, musicals, architecture, culture and cultural history. If taught correctly it can be a really great class (glares at the incompetent teacher). It deals with everything from ancient Greece to the latest album by the Kooks. Assignments like making a movie, reading a book that wasn't originally written in a western language, going to concerts or festivals, or making a play weren't uncommon. In fact, if I remember correctly you had to go to one festival, read one book, two museums, a movie, a concert, a play, and you could pick something yourself. I thought it was the best class to give to those two, but I haven't thought of a name yet. Any suggestions?

* * *

I'll upload the next chapter as soon as possible!

* * *


	6. The Pool, The Paint, and The Song

**_The Lost Days – The Backseats by the Window_**

* * *

****_The boy gazed out the window. It was raining. Behind him a girl was trying to dry her hair with a spare t-shirt. Her old jeans were drenched, and there were little drips coming from her brightly colored blouse, forming small puddles on the ground._

_"New cd?" He asked, looking over one shoulder, amused at the girl's multicolored hair, which was sticking up in every direction by now, slightly resembling a wet cat._

_"Berlin. Imported from Europe." She answered, abandoning the impossible mission of getting her hair dry._

_She grinned at him, he blinked, confused at the emotion in her jade eyes, and before he knew it, there was a flash from the camera and a suspicious light in her eyes. He rolled his eyes and went back to looking at the outside._

_"You know," He began. "I have to ask. Where the fuck did you get that much paint?"_

_"Trade secret." She grinned._

* * *

The man almost choked on his lunch of instant noodles. "You mean someone actually let them in this school? _Together?_"

The blonde in front of him pulled up one eyebrow. "Is it that hard to believe?" She asked him, taking a sip of her 'tea'.

The man scratched his head and put his cup down. "Actually, not really. _He_ can be pretty convincing when he wants to be, y'know?"

The woman glared at him. "I know."

He slowly backed away. "Come on, so I gave her some advice once or twice, so what?"

"Hey! Said my name is called disturbance, I'll shout and scream, I'll kill the king, I'll rail at all his servants…" sounded through the halls again.

The two blondes looked up before going back to glaring at each other again.

"This is your fault." They hissed at each other.

* * *

_"Will someone please explain to me," The silver haired teacher asked after arriving thirty minutes after class started, "why the pool was emptied and used to write the words of Leader of the Pack on the bottom of it? **In neon pink and black paint?**"_

_Silence reigned. Two halo's appeared above two students in the back who looked positively drenched, the puddles under their desks only serving as further evidence._

_-Drip-_

* * *

Normally, the roof of the school was empty. Years ago, two teenagers spent their breaks there, listening to music and eating their lunches, or trading them, and on occasions listened to music and read books there after school. That they could be found there was a well known, yet well kept secret between a select group of people.

Nobody was surprised to find various members of that select group of people on the roof after school had ended, only to find that they were the only ones there. After 10 minutes of nervous waiting, the door to the roof opened again, and someone stepped through.

* * *

_"When I told you to do something useful and creative instead of daydreaming in class, I did not. Mean. This." Said the teacher, gesturing to the empty pool. The boy smirked._

_"You can't prove anything."_

_"I don't have to. Nobody volunteered for cleaning this mess, so I'll just have to assign people. How nice, people standing right in front of me, waiting to be assigned. What a coincidence!"_

_When there was no change in their expressions, he stood up._

_"Mops and buckets are in the closet, you know the drill." He said, and left._

_The teenager with dark hair looked at the girl, not saying anything. She grabbed something out of her messenger bag and smiled._

_"A little fox whispered something in my ear about paint that was designed to dissolve after ten hours, no traces left."_

_"And this little fox told you this all on his own, without being… convinced?"_

_"I think he's eating ramen at Ichiraku's at the moment. Someone must have given him a coupon for a free bowl of ramen."_

_"I see."_

_"Here's the cd."_

_"Thank you."_

_Two teenagers, sitting in a classroom, outside thunder and lightning were dancing with the rain, and they were listening to the bitter story of Jim and Caroline, with their eyes closed._

* * *

"I was ordered to deliver a note here?" Said the student, looking scared out of his wits. Seven pairs of eyes stared at him. A woman with dark blue hair walked towards him and took the piece of paper he was holding in front of him. "You can go now." She said said softly. When the student remained frozen like a deer in the headlights of a truck, she turned around and glared with her pearl eyes. _"Leave. **Now.**"_

The door slammed behind him and running footsteps could be heard.

"Barefoot girl sitting on the hood of a Dodge, drinking warm beer in the soft summer rain. The Rat pulls into town and rolls up his pants. Together they take a stab at romance, and disappear down Flamingo Lane. Tonight, we'll be there." She said, reading the note again with a confused look in her eyes.

"Cryptic as always, the chick and the cat got away again…" Said the amber eyed blonde, taking a swig from the bottle that she took with her.

"We won't find them before they want to be found, you know that, right?" Said the younger blonde, the two men behind her nodding in agreement.

The older blonde sighed. "All right then, that's it. Everybody, get back to what you're supposed to be doing, we won't see them just by standing here."

When nobody moved, she frowned. "Shoo, you bunch of candyasses!"

* * *

_Challenge 8 : The pool, the paint, and the song._

_Included : One photograph of Sakura standing in the empty swimming pool, one of Itachi standing in the swimming pool, One of both of them sitting side by side on the edge of the swimming pool, covered with paint spatters._

_This challenge was the cause of a lot of debate, no one exactly sure who challenged who. Generally it is believed that Itachi challenged Sakura, due to the major use of neon pink paint._

_The swimming pool of the school was emptied in the morning, and with neon pink and black paint the lyrics of the song 'Leader of the Pack', both the female and male version, were written on the bottom. The small mark of the butterfly was scratched into one of the tiles in the east corner. According to anonymous sources, it is still there._

_As always, there were no serious repercussions, much to the annoyance of the parents of some of the more conservative students._

* * *

In a small café, a young pair was drinking their coffee and tea.

"Do you think they got the message?" She murmured, sipping at her cinnamon flavored tea.

The man smirked, dark eyes glancing at her over the rim of his black coffee. "We'll see tonight, won't we?"

The woman laughed softly, but unlike her expression, it was bitter and empty.

The man leaned forward, black hair freed from the hair tie falling over his shoulders, his eyes focused on the jade eyed woman in front of him. "We stayed away for a long time, didn't we?"

She fiddled with the shawl tied around her head, the different colors standing out between the pink hair. The expression on her face changed not, but her eyes seemed too old for a young woman like her. She looked like she had seen the darkest edges of society and returned. The man's eyes mirrored hers, a crimson glow in them.

They both sat there in silence, ancient demons of years gone by haunting them in their memories, remembering them of a life they'd never have. Without noticing it, their hands intertwined, each holding on to each other, as a desperate attempt to keep hold on something that was here and now, and real. Lost souls, the two of them. Outsiders in their own home.

* * *

_Interview 1 : "When we were your age, we thought we could change the world."_

_"They scared the shit out of us, of course. Not just with what they did, but who they were, and what they represented. All of us had dreams and hopes once, and we all remember giving them up for a bleak reality where we had to fit in to survive. We gave up. Not them, though. Where we gave up and surrendered, they kept fighting. That's why they scare us. To us, they represent our lost hopes and crushed dreams, the mistakes and failures that we tried so hard to forget, but that they wouldn't let us. _

_Yeah, sure, we've had our days. We rebelled too, against our parents, school, the government, anything and everything, but not like them. We rebelled just to rebel, you know? They rebelled because it was their way of living, the only way for them to make it through. It's in them, girl. When we were your age, we thought we could change the world, and it turned out we couldn't, and later we could see how idealistic we were, and how idealistic kids were nowadays, but they didn't just think they could change the world. They were certain of it._

_A bunch of us always thought that they were born too late, you know? Why? Ah, you're too young for this to remember it like us, but to us, they seem like a reminder of the old days. Did you ask them about it? You did? What did they say? Ah, just names, huh? It's hard to explain, certainly. The music they remember, the way they act, talk and dress… yeah, I could say they belonged in the sixties, but they belonged there as much as they belonged in the seventies, and the eighties, and so forth. They don't really belong anywhere, but I think the late sixties would be a good time for 'em. I think they would've done good during Woodstock. What do you mean you don't get it? Ah girl, forget it, forget it. That time is gone for good, it's over and that's all you need to know. _

_ A word for them? They're walking contradictions, not twice the same but always recognizable, unique in every single way. Maybe we should settle on Bohemian?_

_They're outsiders, yeah. I'm sure they don't mean it bad, but it's just them. They can act friendly and polite, and angry and sarcastic and sad, but you'll always get the feeling that there's something different, something wrong. They're outsiders, loners, but at least they have each other. _

_Did they leave together or separated? I don't know. I hope together, they depend too much on each other to survive apart from the other, I think. Then again, maybe some time without each other would be good for them… But still, they belong together. _

_Ah forget, I won't explain this to a wannabe journalist like you. Go play with your dolls and your school newspaper, and try to catch the latest gossip. They're them, and that's it._

* * *

Two empty cups were left behind as the pair walked out, and split up in different directions without saying a word. It started to rain.

Jungleland was a club with a rich history, mostly filled with booze and music and cards. It's own history was remarkable enough.

Once upon a time, about thirty years ago, there were three friends; the Genius, the Pervert, and the Alcoholic. The Alcoholic got all of them thrown out of a bar (again) with time to kill (again). The Pervert then suggested that if he'd make a bar, The Alcoholic could drink all she wanted without being thrown out while he'd get enough money to start publishing his own books, which is another long story filled with booze and music and cards. The Genius called them fools and left them soon after, to become another victim/slave/refugee/dead body in the drug circuit. Not deterred by The Genius's unfortunate end, The Pervert made his drunk promised true and named it Jungeland, after a song that had good memories for the former trio, now reduced to pair, of friends. The Alcoholic became a regular, and business was good. In time, The Pervert- now The Club Owner, booked a few bands every few months, and played movies that weren't normally shown in big movie theaters, while he kept the booze flowing and the cards going. On most nights though, it was calm, and nostalgic, reminding the visitors of another time, with old boxes playing older music.

One day, years ago, a pair of teenagers stumbled in during the day. The Pervert Turned Club Owner, who happened to be there at the moment, wasn't quite sure what to do with them, but customers were customers and he served them. Incidentally, he was playing one of his old albums from what he said was 'the only boss I'd ever listen to'. The big surprise came when the teenagers closed their eyes and began to hum with the music, obviously familiar with it and enjoying it. He took a chance and offered them jobs as barkeepers, and when asked he heard that the boy could play the guitar, and the girl could play the piano, as evening entertainment. They only played their instruments, which were always there, but never sang. On good days, they'd hum with whatever music was being played, and when the club was closed and they were cleaning up, the people outside could hear voices singing, but you could never hear them sing in public.

This lasted to their second last day of high school, when they cashed their last paycheck and didn't show up again for years, disappearing without a trace. The Pervert Turned Club Owner never hired anyone else.

There were impressions left, here and there, that showed that this was one of their home bases. The butterfly marks, carved into the bar, into the piano that wasn't used anymore and into the guitar that was barely touched in years. A few pictures pinned on the wall, between old newspaper articles about concerts and movies and pictures of old stars and ancient regulars. Not much was left, but enough to remember them.

Tonight, however, a young woman could be found cleaning glasses behind the bar, and a young man with eyes like the night was playing the guitar that was barely touched, except to move it around when the club had to be cleaned. He was humming to the song that he was playing, sitting on the edge of a small stage in the back. The woman behind the bar was also humming softly, a mysterious smile on her lips. The lights were dim, the air smelled like old spices and smoke (and a faint hint of other substances that one could smoke) and the atmosphere was melancholic, as all the people thought of 'those days'.

All the incoming visitors went to sit at the bar, ordering a drink and waiting for the guitar player to finish his song. After the man finished, he pulled up another chair and sat down, asked the jade eyed barkeeper for his drink, not even bothering to say what it was that he wanted. After the woman poured his drink and grabbed a bottle of water for herself, she too sat down, her eyes darkened behind a pair of red glasses, that she soon put away somewhere under the bar. When she spoke, she looked at all of them with a mischievous look in her eyes.

"So," She said. "Here we are, once more."

* * *

_Hi Everyone._

_I'm giving up on the idea of special chapters instead of author notes, because I think people would only get annoyed… so yeah._

_Sorry for the long wait, but I just came back from two weeks spent on an island with practically no connection the outside world. I had the entire chapter typed out and a few hours before I was going to upload it, a day before I would leave for the island, I accidentally deleted it. Stoopid me, huh? Anyway, I completely rewrote it (on paper, with pen, the old fashioned way, yeah.) and just spent quite some time writing it all out. Somehow it looked more when I wrote it…_

_References made :_

_First, Leader of the Pack is a song that I first heard in the car, sung by the Shangri-Las (that's the female version used in this story), and I thought of it as fucking annoying, but funny at the same time. Later I heard the version of Twisted Sister, which was less annoying (this is the male version used in this story). The Shangri-Las sung it in '64, and Twisted Sister in '85, I think. Quite the age difference, huh? Anyway, here's the Wikipedia summary of the song :_

_The song is about a young high school-aged girl named Betty, who is asked by friends to affirm rumors that she is dating Jimmy, the leader of a motorcycle gang. The parents claim that Jimmy hails from "the wrong side of the tracks" and will be a bad influence on her. They ask Betty to tell Jimmy good-bye and find someone new._

_A heartbroken Betty does as she is asked, and an obviously upset Jimmy — after putting up his bravado — speeds off on his motorcycle. Moments later, Jimmy crashes his motorcycle on a rain-slickened surface and dies instantly; Betty's pleas for Jimmy to slow down were in vain. In the end, Betty is left to deal with both heartbreak and grief, but vows never to forget her brief fling with Jimmy, the "Leader of the Pack."_

_The girl voices are so high! Ugh, it was just a funny song to use, kay? _

_Second, Berlin. It's a famous album by Lou Reed, which received a lot criticism at first, but was later hailed… bunch of hypocritic critics… I liked it…  
It tells the story of Jim and Caroline, two junkies in Berlin. The most famous lines are that of the first song :_

_In Berlin, by the wall  
you were five foot ten inches tall  
It was very nice  
candlelight and Dubonnet on ice_

_We were in a small cafe  
you could hear the guitars play  
It was very nice  
Oh Honey, it was paradise._

_The story ends bad, by the way. In case you didn't know that already…_

_Third, "Barefoot girl sitting on the hood of a Dodge, drinking warm beer in the soft summer rain. The Rat pulls into town and rolls up his pants. Together they take a stab at romance, and disappear down Flamingo Lane." Are lyrics from the song Jungleland, get it?_

_Fourth, "Hey! Said my name is called disturbance, I'll shout and scream, I'll kill the king, I'll rail at all his servants…" are lyrics from the song Street Fighting Man, from The Rolling Stones. The cd placed by Itachi is still used instead of the school bell. If you were wondering, the particular cd used is Beggar's Banket, which by the way has an interesting album cover._

_Fifth, Woodstock. 3 days of peace and music, man! If you don't know this… fine. Woodstock – hippie –festival – huge – kay?_

_Sixth, the slang. Just used some random slang I could still remember :_

_Cat – Guy, man.  
Chick – Girl, woman.  
Candyasses – I think it was something like bunch of whimps.  
And on accident, fox can also mean something like outstanding girl or woman, someone told me. That was an accident. Really. We all know who I mean when I combine the words fox-ramen, right?_

_And lastly, I'm gonna name the class 'Cultural Studies'. Kay?_

_Next chapter will (hopefully) give more insight in what the two butterflies did in those years without having each other to fall back on… _

_Again, sorry for all the lateness._

_ -May-D, recently also known as Bohemian Baroque.  
_

* * *


	7. Tarnished Gold

**_The Lost Days – The Backseats by the Window_**

* * *

There is a small, almost unknown bar downtown in this city, it's occupants drinking quietly with a single question in their mind, waiting for someone to voice it out loud. Eventually, the owner, after taking a last sip of his drink, out of his glass that was decorated with tarnished golden curls and small green stones the same colour as his drink, decided that he waited long enough.

"Where have you been?"

After the first questions, all around the young pair behind the bar the questions began to fill the smoky atmosphere.

"What have you been doing?"

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"When did you get back?"

"When did you leave?"

_"Why did you come back?"_

At the last question, jade and midnight eyes glared at the speakers, causing silence to fall once more.

The black haired man began to speak in soft tones, his voice purring and pulling his listeners into his tale of lies or truth without giving them a chance to stay away, his dark eyes on the woman next to him, who was calmly sipping her bottle of water, obviously used to the man's dramatic flares, if her rolling her eyes was any indication.

"Long before we graduated from high school, we had to get out of here. Yes, we went to festivals or we could stay away for a few days, but it wasn't what we really needed. So, as soon as we got our diplomas, we took the first trains we could find and vanished."

"Trains? You mean… you went different ways?" asked the blond next to the owner, his fingers twirling an empty glass around.

The woman answered him with an amused look. "Yeah, we did. We didn't see each other for years, until we both came back here, though we heard about each other through others on our journeys."

The silver haired man in the corner laughed. "I never thought I'd see the day you two weren't together for more than a week."

"And that was exactly why we went different ways," said the man with the ebony eyes. "It became too easy to forget about everything and everyone."

The other man's laughter died down to a sympathetic look a few seconds after that. "I see…"

* * *

_A grave, the design simple and almost hidden behind the luxorious graves that surrounded it, flowers upon flowers and candles in front of it, nearby a blonde girl, barely twenty, shaking silently on the ground, all eyes avoiding her, the hypocrites, except for some of the younger teens who glanced at her with curiosity, while their parents looked down in disapproval at their children and the junkie girl who didn't speak a word, the hypocrites. A flash, another photograph, not of the grave that hailed millions, but the girl that was ignored by the world. The world was cruel, and kindness was a past that most forgot. No hands reaching out anymore, only looks of hate and words of evil. When the blonde looked up again, the strange girl that was alone was gone, though she would hardly remember seeing her in the morning. When she looked around, she found a bottle of water with food that looked like rice and strawberries mashed together to form small triangles next to her. A shadow of a smile reached her face as she saw money next to it, not enough for another shot, but just enough to make sure she'd survive until then._

* * *

"… did you come back?" Drawled a loud voice, breaking the young woman away from her memories. Before she could ask what the blonde woman sipping from a cup said, her companion answered in his usual cryptic ways.

"We had our reasons to come back, just as we had our reasons to stay away."

* * *

_A young man with black eyes, his jacket used as a pillow for his head, lying in an almost empty metro in Berlin, opening his eyes as the vehicle stopped at another station, only to let in a large group of young teenagers supervised by several adults, clearly a class on a school trip with several teachers. He rolled his eyes at the irony of one of the teachers warning all of them that while they were walking through Berlin, they weren't allowed to go near Bahnhof Zoo because it would be filled with so-called 'unsavory persons who lived miserable lives and would have a negative influence' while one of the girls with a lollipop in her mouth and a look that said 'please fuck off and die' continued to read her book. The title was Christiane F. He almost laughed when another teacher, after warning all of them to stay together so they wouldn't be left behind in the metro, saw his students and colleagues stepping out and the doors closing between him, effectively trapping him in the almost empty coupé, while the rest of his group walked away without looking back._

* * *

The last question : "Are you going to stay?"

"Perhaps."

A few hours later, filled with talking and more drinks, most occupants leaving one by one, until only the owner and the older blonde were left, together with the mysterious pair behind the bar. The owner gave them a smile.

"We'll take our leave now, I'm going to assume that the two of you can lock it up later?"

The blonde glared at him, and he gave her a warning look that said he would explain it later. She nodded, and stood up to grab her coat, both she and the white haired man behind her leaving through the back door, feeling two suspicious stares on their backs. When they were outside, she glared at the smiling man next to her. "Explain."

He said nothing, just guided her to the stairs, up to a platform where they could see the inside through a small window. "Just watch, my dear."

When she looked inside, she saw that the young man was talking to the woman, and bowed to her, one hand in an inviting gesture. The jade eyed woman smiled and said something she couldn't hear, before accepting the hand, whose owner now lead them to the middle of the empty floor. She couldn't hear the music, but she could the beginning of them dancing, without rules or patterns, but with so much grace and familiarity that it made her sigh.

* * *

"Dance with me?" Asked the man with crimson eyes, inviting the young woman before him. She smiled, and spoke softly.

"I remember a time when you were didn't want to dance with me."

"As do I."

"You told me every time that you wouldn't be able to stop yourself if we'd dance."

"That is true, yes."

"Does that still apply?"

"Would you like to find out?"

"Yeah, actually. I would." She said, finally accepting the hand he gave her.

He took her to the middle of the empty floor, listening to the music and both of them swaying around, the look on their faces one of pure bliss, their eyes closed as they forgot the world around them.

* * *

_There's a lady who's sure all that glitters is gold  
And she's buying a stairway to heaven  
And when she gets there she knows if the stores are all closed  
With a word she can get what she came for_

_Ooh ooh ooh...ooh...ooh ooh ooh  
And she's buying a stairway to heaven_

_There's a sign on the wall but she wants to be sure  
'Cause you know sometimes words have two meanings  
In the tree by the brook there's a songbird who sings  
Sometimes all of our thoughts are misgiven_

_Oooh...It makes me wonder  
Oooh...It makes me wonder_

_There's a feeling I get when I look to the west  
And my spirit is crying for leaving  
In my thoughts I have seen rings of smoke through the trees  
And the voices of those who stand looking_

_Oooh...It makes me wonder  
Oooh...And it makes me wonder_

_And it's whispered that soon, if we all called the tune  
Then the piper will lead us to reason  
And a new day will dawn for those who stand long  
And the forest will echo with laughter_

_Woe woe woe woe woe oh  
If there's a bustle in your hedgerow  
Don't be alarmed now  
It's just a spring clean for the May Queen  
Yes there are two paths you can go by  
but in the long run  
There's still time to change the road you're on_

_And it makes me wonder...ohhh ooh woe_

_Your head is humming and it won't go -- in case you don´t know  
The piper's calling you to join him  
Dear lady can you hear the wind blow and did you know  
Your stairway lies on the whispering wind_

_And as we wind on down the road  
Our shadows taller than our souls  
There walks a lady we all know  
Who shines white light and wants to show  
How everything still turns to gold  
And if you listen very hard  
The tune will come to you at last  
When all are one and one is all, yeah  
To be a rock and not to roll  
Ooooooooooooh_

* * *

The last line was lost on them as they finally kissed, forgetting all the rules and promises and painful memories that came before, all of it leading up to this one moment where the world seemed to stand impossibly still and there was an absolute silence.

* * *

_And she's buying a stairway to heaven…_

* * *

There is a small, almost unknown bar downtown in this city, and standing in the middle of the floor, beneath the one spotlight that was on, the rest of the bar in complete darkness, a young woman and a young man stood intertwined, finally showing their emotions to each other in their second kiss.

* * *

Yay, I updated '. Sorry for all the delay, but I suddenly had to work week after week (work being physical labor that keeled all my energy) and then go back to school. So. Not that much to tell. The first flashback is Sakura's, while she's in Paris near a certain grave (Imaginary ichigo onigiri for the first person who can tell me which grave and what cemetery) and the second one is Itachi's while he's in Berlin.

So, some background information and another kiss!

I love all of you people, ya know? And I'm not going to reveal the twisted and demented history of Itachi and Sakura just yet... it's way too much fun to make all of you guess for a while. Kudos to Sakura4eva and BloodxMoonxNightmare for commenting on the Woodstock parts XD GO BEAT 'EM WITH STICKS, I SAY! Woodstock rules/ruled. Just to be clear. -cough-

This whole write-without-actually-using-any-names-thing is quite funny... Let's see how long I can keep it up?

Actually, the first flashback is based on my own visit to that place, including the girl and the way people acted around her. However, no acts of kindness in the real world. It was the beginning of May, two years ago. The second flashback, I wrote myself in the story (How very sad of me, really), and is a true memory, with the exception of Itachi. Seriously, one of my teacher kept repeating that we had to stay together and got himself lost . And I've read that book multiple times, though it was the Dutch version, so the teacher that kept going on about Bahnhof Zoo would have amused me, if I didn't suffer from lack of sleep, which only two hours of it, followed by visiting half of Berlin in one day can do to ya. That was about a week after Paris.

The song is called Stairway to Heaven, by Led Zeppelin, and it was the song I was listening the entire time while writing this.

Please be so kind to leave a review, because you people totally rock my day when I read them!

- May-D.

* * *


	8. Home

**_The Lost Days – The Backseats by the Window_**

* * *

There are many surroundings that may be of a positive or a negative influence to a school. For instance, when the shopping district is only a five-minute walk it is often the reason that students are late when returning to school in between classes, having been too busy with finishing coffees and cappuccinos while holding conversations filled with gossips and the latest news. When a school is close to a church, there may be more religiously inclined students than when a school is built next to a casino. Konoha high had all that and more. It was close to the shopping district, was built within walking distance of two churches (though one seemed rather abandoned and was mostly used by the local youth to hang out and smoke without being caught) and around the corner was a casino. While all this didn't really bother the two young adults that were standing in front of the school, they had to wonder what the people who thought that this particular location was good had been smoking. Not only was there the shopping district, the two churches, and the casino, when looking out the windows on the northeast wing of the school, there was a huge, often filled with fog, graveyard.

Today was predicted to be warm in the afternoon, but cold, almost freezing, in the morning, and the mist was swirling all around the place. The rose-haired woman was holding two cups of steaming coffee in her glove covered hands, while the man was searching his pockets for something. Behind them boxes upon boxes with various objects were waiting to be moved into the school. The rose-haired woman rolled her eyes when the man kept searching his pockets for something that obviously wasn't there.

"Around your neck, idiot."

The man glared at her, but she didn't seem all that impressed. He then fumbled with something underneath the dark leather jacket, and pulled out a key on a piece of thin rope used as a necklace, and opened the doors. Before he walked in, he looked at her. She rolled her eyes again.

"She already turned off the alarms."

He grinned, and bowed while gesturing for her to walk in. She bowed back, mockingly, and did so, putting the hot coffee away on the first flat surface she could find, a statue of a waiter. They pulled of their coats and their gloves, keeping their black hats on sideways. The man pulled out two chairs from the small office next to the entrance, and they sagged down in them, uncaring of years of etiquette training demanding straight backs and elegant postures. Each grabbing one cup, they made a silent toast and started drinking.

After they were done, they threw the carton cups away in the trashcan without looking back, and the woman walked to the sound system, putting on a cd and starting to sing with the words while the man started to haul the boxes inside, soon followed by the woman.

* * *

_"__Well now everything dies baby that's a fact  
But maybe everything that dies someday comes back  
Put your makeup on fix your hair up pretty  
And meet me tonight in Atlantic City__"_

* * *

They carried them to the lift, through the hallways, to a classroom in the far corner of the school. From thereon out, they started to work, unpacking the boxes, revealing books and movies, old posters advertising movies and artists, and dozens of other objects that were then placed in a seemingly random position.

When they were done, the black-haired man pulled two bottles out of his bag, that he threw somewhere in one of the corners, giving one to his partner, and started to drink from his own, looking around lazily. He nodded once, and looked into the moss green eyes of the woman.

"I think we're done here, for now."

"Seems like it, to me. By the way, you still owe me a beach vacation."

"Huh?"

* * *

_After a three-hour ride, they were finally there. An old, battered tent was set up, their bags were dumped, and after two hours of repacking, they left again. It was evening already, and the beach was almost empty, the air was hot and the water was cool, and while he stopped, the girl immediately dropped her bag and ran to the open sea, for the first time seeing the waves and feeling them around her. She had a pair of black shorts on, and an oversized t-shirt with the neck widened so it fell off one of her shoulders. He laughed softly, and decided to leave the preparations for what they were, and joined her. A group that had already left forgot to put out their campfire, so when they got out of the water, they grabbed a big towel and sat down in front of the fire, back to back, with another towel covering the both of them._

_He could feel her shivering despite the towel and the fire, and resisted the urge to put his arm around her. She smelled of the sea, yet underneath there was still that scent that was completely hers, and hers alone. While he watched the fire, trying not to notice how she turned, how her head fell on his shoulder, how she leaned against him, he couldn't help but wonder how long these days were going to last. This would be their last summer before graduating. When he looked down, he saw a mass of pink hair, still wet from the salt water, and by the way she breathed, he knew she was asleep. When he shifted around, she slowly woke up, and there was something in those eyes that he couldn't define, before it was locked away again. It reminded him of how their boss sometimes looked at their blonde principal, when he thought no one would notice. _

_He waved with his other hand. "Hey."_

_She blinked. "Hey."_

_"Welcome back to the land of the living."_

_She yawned, and then noticed how they were sitting. _

_"I fell asleep."_

_"Okay."_

_"I don't control my actions when I'm asleep."_

_"Okay…"_

_"Seriously!"_

_"If you say so…"_

_Before she could open her mouth again, a shout made the two of them look up._

_"Oi! What do you think you're doing!"_

_They grabbed their bags, leaving the towels behind, and ran, their faces pained because of the sudden movement after all the relaxing. The cd player kept playing, and she was laughing and he was laughing while they kept running from the angry man, who was now busy putting out the fire. After a few more minutes, they collapsed, still laughing, tears streaming down their faces, eyes glittering. She leaned on him, and reached for the cd player in her bag to shut it off. _

_"Maybe we should stay away from the campfires next time."_

_Her words shocked him. It was the last week before school started, soon it would be fall, followed by winter, after that, their graduation. This year, there would be no next time. Someday though…_

_He looked sideways. "Yeah, next time…"_

_They looked at each other, and burst into laughter again._

_"Nah!"_

_Before they could collapse, they heard footsteps. "Hey, you two! Fuckin' pyromaniacs! Stop running!"_

_They started to run again, and he couldn't resist throwing one last comment at the man chasing them._

_"Tramps like us, baby, we were born to run!"_

* * *

He put his arm around her shoulder, and she looked up to him, green eyes with a question that never had an answer. Looking away on purpose, he smirked.

"For now though, I think it's time to go home."

Her eyes widened, old memories awakened at the words he spoke.

* * *

_The smell of cinnamon and vanilla, mixed with the smell of wet paint and coffee._

_The feel of soft couches and the old ratty mattress, used too often to collapse after another night that lasted too long._

_The sound of music playing without shouts to turn it off, only whispers to turn it up._

_The sight of walls covered in writings and drawings and pictures, of books spread throughout the rooms, making it impossible to walk six feet without almost tripping._

_Voices, conversations, hugs, promises, breakdowns, fears, anger, sadness, loneliness, shoulders to cry on, friendship, love._

_"This is home," He told her. "Where it's just you and me and this is our world. Home."_

_And she smiled back at him. "Home."_

* * *

She reached put her arm around her shoulder, and picked up her bag. "Yeah. Let's go home."

* * *

_And she opened the door._

* * *

I'm back! _-rotten tomatoes are thrown at her-_ Yes, sorry for the horribly long leave, I'm a terrible person, I know. Let's see... song references, don't have that many this time. Atlantic City by Bruce Springsteen, and kudos to anyone who can catch Born to Run (Ya know it, Bruce Springsteen). Apologies for grammatical and spelling errors, my first language ain't English (actually, it's Dutch. But English is waaaay better.) and no one checks this before I upload it (not even me... maybe I should...).

Thank you, all of you, so very, very much for all your reviews, I love reading them, I actually say thank you (out loud) everytime someone reviews (it has gotten me a few strange looks). I hope to recieve another few for this chapter, though it isn't that good this time, I'm afraid (at least some fluff for all you fluff fans ).

For those of you who have been asking for the beatles, I can promise you that they'll be in here soon, I just have to find the right moment, where I'm writing a scene in which they fit and listening to them.

School's a bore, don't you think? My English teacher and I don't get along all that well, mainly due to the fact that I'm reading or drawing every lesson, only for her to walk up to me and ask for my homework, and me showing the finished homework for the entire month. Ah, just chilling. She gave me an assignment where I had to choose a song, and take out some words. I'm going with 'The River' by... Bruce Springsteen. Surprise surprise. T'was a hard choice though. Wanted to do Born to Run or Jungeland first, but everyone told me that it would be too heard. Pshaw, so?

I'll try to update as soon as possible,

May.

* * *


	9. The Scent of Rain

**_The Lost Days – The Backseats by the Window_**

* * *

A first step, followed by a second, by a third, breaking into a run, with him right beside her.

* * *

_The first time she collapsed into tears, she was alone. Just her and her headphones and the music that kept playing and playing._

* * *

The key looked old and worn, hanging on a silk black ribbon, dangling on his fingers, waiting for her to take it.

* * *

_The second time she collapsed and fell down on the cold floor, she was just coherent enough to send him a text message, asking him if it was true. She never told him about the four hours filled with tears before she got a reply. Nor about the nightmares. She wore sunglasses to school the next day, and it rained and it rained and it wouldn't stop raining._

* * *

**"So, so you think you can tell  
Heaven from Hell,  
Blue skies from pain.  
Can you tell a green field  
From a cold steel rail?  
A smile from a veil?  
Do you think you can tell?"**

* * *

It smelled of dust, and some of the lights didn't work anymore, but it was the same place as in their memories.

* * *

_The third time was by his doing, on accident. When he noticed she wasn't there anymore it took him two hours to find her, in corner with her headphones on and the music that kept playing and playing. When he saw her, he swore to never leave her alone again. She was drenched from the rain._

* * *

They just lay there on the couch, candles burning as they watched memories of the past come to life, covered by a blanket and waiting for the heat to kick in.

* * *

_The fourth time she didn't collapse, but screamed, and she shouted, rampaging through their rooms with the tears that she couldn't hold back and she didn't stop until he caught her and wouldn't let go, no matter how much she hit him. And he gave her the answers to all her feverish questions, and even when the fatigue got to her and she fell asleep he wouldn't let go. Outside a storm was raging, and it soon shook their windows and rattled their walls._

* * *

**"And did they get you to trade  
Your heroes for ghosts?  
Hot ashes for trees?  
Hot air for a cool breeze?  
Cold comfort for change?  
And did you exchange  
A walk on part in the war  
For a lead role in a cage?"**

* * *

When it was warm again, they played their music and danced and danced and they wouldn't stop dancing, they wouldn't stop laughing.

* * *

_She stopped counting after that. So did he. So when the door opened again and she walked in with the water dripping into puddles around her feet, he would put everything away, be it his book, his paintbrushes, his pen, and she'd take off her old, frayed coat and allow herself to be drawn, captured in his arms and they'd lay there on that ratty old mattress until they fell asleep, and in the middle of the night she'd wake up again and he'd have the answer to all her questions, even if there was no answer._

* * *

So neither was surprised when they finally broke down, and they fell to the floor while holding on to each other, because the thought of letting go terrified the both of them.

* * *

_When he collapsed, he wouldn't scream. No ranting, no shouting, no rampaging. No moving. His eyes would stare at nothing and everything, but even when he didn't make a sound when she put her arms around him, she would feel him stiffen more and finally relax, and silent tears would make their way across his face with his eyes showing everything and nothing and all his nightmares, and she would slowly move him to the couch, where he'd finally let himself fall down, and they'd lay there for hours and hours until they fell asleep. She could still smell the scent on him that told her how he walked amongst the graves again for hours and hours._

* * *

**"How I wish, how I wish you were here.  
We're just two lost souls  
Swimming in a fish bowl,  
Year after year,  
Running over the same old ground.  
What have we found?  
The same old fears.  
Wish you were here…"**

* * *

When they woke up the next morning, the music had stopped, but the sun came in through the windows and they put a record on while they started to clean.

* * *

_To say that they had seen the other in their darkest moments wasn't something to be proud of, they'd always thought. It just was. It was what they were, what people had made them._

* * *

Now that they could spare the money, they decided to buy more blankets and pillows. They couldn't get themselves to throw the mattress away, but it was far from comfortable.

* * *

_They always stayed at home the mornings after these episodes. Their parents wouldn't care anymore, their boss would understand, and the school had given up on trying after another day where they both appeared with colored glasses and stayed silent for the entire day, while the air was almost vibrating with anger at the entire world. They'd stay in their own world and the day after that or the day after that they'd appear again, no questions asked._

* * *

They spent over a hundred bucks on pillows and blankets, and they had to make several walks to and from the stores to get them home. When in the end, they looked at the corner where the mattress lay, where the floor was lower, and it was easy to let themselves fall, and it was covered by pillows in all sizes and all patterns, in colors of gold, and red, and brown, and black, and purple, it looked like a new dawn. It was worth it.

* * *

_Report #1_

_"No, we didn't know what actually happened between them and their parents. They never told us, and I guess we were just too blind, or more like it, we made ourselves blind. We had a suspicion that it wasn't all that good, but never enough. If they came early and stayed long, we told ourselves they just wanted to study. If they'd sneer at texts or discussions concerning parenting, we just thought they'd seen a documentary about it or something. And when we saw them and their parents sitting apart with a five feet distance at all times and hushed conversations, we just turned a blind eye._

_Humans can be so damn smart at times. There was no physical abuse, or at least, no sign of it. Their neighbors never heard a thing. All we forgot, was that no matter how perfect the skin was, their minds were scarred, deeply. Things that seemed so normal to all of us, they were unfamiliar with. Reacting to situations in a logical way just wasn't logical for them. _

_We denied everything, see no evil, hear no evil, but we'd speak evil. We started by calling them cynical. They were sarcastic. Smart-asses. Attention seekers. Stupid. Lazy. The possibility that there was something really wrong wasn't something we thought about until they left. And by then, it was too late."_

_-Y.K. , Konoha High counselor, personal files._

* * *

_Interview 5 : "__They forced us to open our eyes and see them, and through them, see the world."_

_"They were a few years ahead of us in classes and age, but we recognized them on our first day. My older sister and my cousin had told me about them a few times, my sister with a faint trace of admiration, and my cousin with disdain, that later changed to respect. _

_No, they were fucking unique. Not that bullshit like 'everyone is unique' and shit, they were the real thing. They'd be coming, and you heard them. They'd be walking by, and you saw them. They'd be gone, and you'd remember them. People would point, and stare, and laugh and they just didn't seem to give a damn. People called them arrogant, but I think it was more like a defense than anything else._

_I respected them in the end, for what they did for us, to us. They forced us to open our eyes and see them, and through them, see the world. As examples in life, we had our parents, we had our teachers, we had our friends, we had the media, and we had them. While they wouldn't force us to be like them, they did make us think, and I could use some good rethinking at that time. Most of us could. Too bad, most of us didn't get it._

_What would've happened if it wasn't for them? I guess… I would just be another brick in the wall, yanno?_

_Listen, nice as it was talking to you, miss reporter with your perfect blonde hair and an obsession with rumors, I've got more to do._

_Why should I tell you?"_

* * *

They spent the next three hours holding a massive pillow fight. No winner was declared, because after three hours, they got tired, and she tripped over a pillow and fell on him. However, before anything could happen, he yawned, causing her to yawn, causing them to yawn at the same time. Sleep sounded really good at the moment.

* * *

_Oh my gods, she updated. Within a week. Maybe I'm finally getting my act together._

_Then again, maybe not. xD_

_Wish you were here – Pink Floyd_

_congratulations if you catch another reference to Pink Floyd in this chapter, I'm not sure if it's obvious or not, but if you find it, kudos to you._

_also, kudos to anyone who finds the tiny reference to 'the times they are a-changing' by Bob Dylan._

_To all my reviewers, thank you for the lovely advice and encouragements and stories, you my very bad week a little brighter every time I read them. I can't thank you enough._

_For my next English assignment, I had to think of something by myself, as long as I stayed in the classroom and was quiet, which means no music. I think I'm going to try and write about the song 'born to run' is about and what it can/could mean. To those who have heard it, what does it mean to you?_

_I love hearing stories from you, seriously. _

_To you (I hope you know I'm talking to you), with the great room, wow. It seems like an awesome room if you ask me. Plus, there's the added bonus that you can sit on the roof without falling through the roof, unlike here._

_Also, to the reviewer who said 'Ik hou van jou', you made me laugh (and you did say it right)! Thanks, it came as completely unexpected to me xD Wanna switch? I wouldn't mind being Canadian… I think… o.0 What's so great about being Dutch?_

_They just –slept together-, okay? As in, snore, sleep, wake up angry and hit the alarm, and hit the other person on accident. Before anyone gets any ideas… xD They do seem very touchy with each other though..._

_Till next time,_

_May._


	10. Imperfection Exists

**_The Lost Days – The Backseats by the Window_**

* * *

_Interview # 4 : "Don't think they were fucking perfect, because they weren't."_

_"Most people fucking glorified them after they were gone. Treated them as heroes, as pioneers, breaking the rules at every chance they had, spoke of them with something akin to respect, their names with reverence. In the end, they were human, but few people remember that. Yeah, they did whatever the fuck they wanted to, only the fact is, that they weren't always out to cause a riot. They were really obsessed with music, but it wasn't the only thing in the world, and they did listen to bands younger than ten years. They seemed so cool to people who didn't knew them, or idiotic depending on when they were seen, but if you caught them when there was no one else around, they looked more real, somehow. Gone was the swagger, the cool face and the dramatic gestures. Instead, there were stupid jokes that didn't make any fucking sense to anyone but them, and a sweetness we normally rarely saw._

_Hold on a sec, I found it._

_According to the data from around that time, 76 percent wouldn't judge someone and didn't someone would be judged on how they looked like, or what subculture they belonged to. 98 percent didn't think that the way someone dressed would influence their opinion. There's some other stuff in here, but just take the folder and read it yourself. As far as we know, those two never took the survey that asked these particular questions. Anyway, those are some pretty numbers, right? Fucking bullshit, but it sure sounds pretty._

_You remember, right? How they looked like? Mostly jeans and black clothes, and half of the time heavily customized with safety pins, buttons, ribbons, whatever, right? That was the way they liked it, yeah, that's true. I remember that they hated it when it looked like something produced for the vast masses of grey people, as new as possible and without any tears or signs of use. But we all know what we did. One look and they were written off as punks and goths, thrown in with some group that didn't know what to do with them. They didn't like that. They definitely didn't like that._

_What? Their grades?_

_Here, nothing special. Some are high, English literature, art, music, history, some aren't. What, no, no, they were fucking smart. Too bad that they were fucking lazy too. Not really all that into studying and following random orders to do something useless. They didn't do a fucking thing most of the time. _

_They got interested in the strangest things, remember? All the signs of a mental breakdown. Binary codes. Meds, drugs, side-effects. Rubik's cubes. The 19th century. Dolls. It was always so fucking random, we couldn't keep up._

_Don't think they were fucking perfect, because they weren't. They cursed all the time, they could be just as judgmental and prejudiced as you and me, they were just as human as everyone else. I guess they were just too different for us to see it."_

* * *

"How can I help you?"

A ticking watch, seconds fly by in silence as the door closes and the ticking of a pair of high heels echoes through the almost empty café.

"I have a question and you will answer it."

A chair being moved as the watch keeps ticking, the only sound coming from the sweeping that continued as the two women stayed silent.

"Perhaps."

-one tick, two ticks, three ticks-

"Who left first?"

Jaded eyes blinked in confusion.

"Pardon?"

Pale blue eyes that promised every man's dreams changed into mirrors of ice.

* * *

Keys dangling on a silk ribbon, dark eyes looking at the golden sky.

"Hey kiddo."

Silently, the younger man handed an old photograph over to the old man.

A face forever stained with tears of blood softened as he looked at the frozen smile of the girl in the picture.

"I took it for her a day before she left me."

* * *

"I knew you. I knew him. You wouldn't leave each other for this long if your life depended on it."

"He left me."

* * *

"I kept it with me all this time, I can barely remember why I never burned it."

"So you weren't planning on leaving alone then."

Scarlet eyes looked at him, strands of long black hair moving in the wind.

"We were going to leave together…"

* * *

"…We promised each other."

* * *

"What happened?"

* * *

"What happened?"

* * *

_  
"…What?"_

_"I'm telling you boy, she left. Said she needed time to think and all that jazz. Just a quick goodbye and a promise to write soon, and she was gone. Took the train to neverwhere."_

_"But that's impossible… she said… she promised!"_

_"Tch, promises. You knew her, she would lie to the gods if she felt like it. Words meant nothing to her, you hear me? NOTHING!"_

_"Maybe not to you, but she gave me her fucking WORD! We were going to leave, we were going to leave all of this behind!"_

_"Well listen to the news, she left YOU behind too! You are NOTHING to her, just another toy to deceive!"_

_"You never knew her, you don't know a THING about us!"_

_"I am her MOTHER. Leave us be! She is GONE!"_

_"FINE!"_

_Footsteps faded away, the rain soon hiding the black silhouette. As she closed the door, another one opened. _

_"Mother, what happened? I thought I heard voices…"_

_"Go back to sleep, child. You're supposed to leave early tomorrow with that… guy."_

_"Stop talking about him as if he's some reject!"_

_"Just go back to sleep! Nothing happened!"_

* * *

_  
"Ah, I'm here because I was supposed to meet him two hours ago, do you know if he's still asleep or something?"_

_"Silly little girl, he left last night."_

_"I'm sorry, but that's not possible, we were supposed to leave together."_

_"Look, I don't know what happened, he left last evening and came back a few hours later, grabbed his bags and ran out the door again. We found the note this morning, it seems he decided to leave without you."_

_"But why? He said…"_

_"Wake up girl, face reality. Why would someone like him make a promise that would bind him to someone like you, huh? He's too good for you, so get out of here already. We've got more to do than listening to the whining of a some middle class child like you."_

_The door was closed right in front of her. From a window a floor above her, black eyes followed her leaving figure, wondering what had happened between her and his brother. He'd heard the conversation, something was off about the whole thing. Him leaving so suddenly, the fact that she didn't know anything about it, and the note. He'd call his girlfriend later, if he could avoid her older sister and the overprotective cousin who usually prevented them being alone together._

_

* * *

  
She never found out, not until four years would've passed and a pair of white eyes found her in the masses. The younger girl looked back at the copy of an old photograph in her hands, and the young woman that was seemingly sleeping a few meters away from her. It took her and her fiancé almost a year to track them down, and another two months to get to them. While he was busy finding his older brother, who was currently somewhere in Chicago, she was all the way in Europe after someone finally told her that she was staying somewhere in Paris. She took a few steps, standing front of the sunlight, making the rose haired woman open her eyes and take of her sunglasses._

_"Oi, whatcha think ya doin' huh?"_

_She shook her head, muttering silent curses at her ancestors._

_"We got some talkin' to do, you an' me."_

_"Waddabout, eh? "_

_"This."_

_And she showed her the copy and the note._

_ Jade eyes widened._

* * *

_  
He looked at the younger man sitting in his hotel room. Night met night as nobody spoke. _

_"It's time to go back, brother."_

_"There is no going back, little one."_

_"I just got a phone call. She got the note."_

_"How?"_

_"It took us almost three years to find the truth. After that, another year before we found you two."_

_The note he wrote wasn't a real note, it were simply words from a song that was still in his head, with instructions beneath it that if she ever asked for him, to give it to her._

_The younger one leaned back. _

_"So I think it's time to go back, if just to see if there's something there to go back to."_

_Silently, he nodded._

_"Oh, and I'm getting married in about half a year, don't tell anyone, you're my best man. That means you're kinda obligated to be there."_

_With those words he left._

_"Ah… Wait, what?!"_

_

* * *

  
_

_ "_Well I came by your house the other day  
Your mother said you went away  
She said there was nothing that I could have done  
There was nothing nobody could say  
Me and you we've known each other ever since we were sixteen  
I wished I would have known  
I wished I could have called you  
Just to say goodbye Bobby Jean

Now you hung with me when all the others turned away, turned up their nose  
We liked the same music, we liked the same bands, we liked the same clothes  
We told each other that we were the wildest  
The wildest things we'd ever seen  
Now I wished you would have told me  
I wished I could have talked to you  
Just to say goodbye Bobby Jean

Now we went walking in the rain talking about the pain that from the world we hid  
Now there ain't nobody, nowhere nohow gonna ever understand me the way you did  
Maybe you'll be out there on that road somewhere, in some bus or train traveling along, in some motel room there'll be a radio playing and you'll hear me sing this song  
Well, if you do, you'll know I'm thinking of you and all the miles in between and  
I'm just calling one last time  
Not to change your mind, but just to say I miss you baby, good luck, goodbye Bobby Jean..."

* * *

Thank you for all your kindness, I treasure every word, every review. I will never forget you guys.

Not much to say this time, Naruto's interview is flashing by as a reminder to the characters and myself that they're not perfect. It's easy to take that way and make them everything you wanted to be, give them everything you never had, and continue like that as a perfect bubbly dream. The truth is, they're human. They have their bad sides, their crappy moments and weird quirks. They can be stupid too.

It dates back to a comment another classmate of mine made a while ago, words that I've heard in many variations. Some comment about admiring the way I did my own thing and dressed and talked the way I wanted to, how brave she thought it was. Another comment on how easy I did stuff.

**We make heroes so easily, hiding their humanity and forgetting the bad sides. We put shine a spotlight on 'em and banish their real life to the shadows, hoping no one will see.**

Ah, I'm getting all philosophical again.

The song's called Bobby Jean, from Bruce Springsteen.

Soundtrack for this chapter is 'Sara' (Bob Dylan), 'Bobby Jean' (Bruce Springsteen) and 'Everything is broken' (Bob Dylan)

Look, it's some kind of hidden past that we didn't know about... Now what will we do?

-M.


End file.
